It’s funny, whenever anyone first hears about Squamish’s
prized mountain bike event, The Test of Metal, after the initial, “they
bike for how long!?” comes the inevitable Test math. That’s
the math that one immediately does when given the two most readily available
numbers which are, the number of riders, and the entry fee. So, eight
hundred riders, at sixty dollars a pop that’s… carry the one…
holly crap that’s a lot of money! Man, event organizer Cliff Miller
must be just raking it in. For those that know Cliff this is immediately
followed by a good chuckle knowing the only thing Cliff receives from
the Test is thinning hair from a year of organizational stress only those
in the same position can appreciate.

For those inclined to believe someone
is raking in huge bucks from this event, you’re absolutely right -
and that person is you, me and everyone else in Squamish. While the event
organizers get ulcers and headaches, Test of Metal Inc. is a not-for-profit
company that puts each and every penny back in the community. That is,
all that’s left after they take care of the countless expenses.
Everything from event fees and administrative costs to trail maintenance
and prizing. Not to mention looking after 300+ volunteers, and astronomical
insurance costs. Any money remaining is given to a literal laundry list
of worthy places, Squamish Emergency Program, Team Squamish, High School
Mountain Bike programs, SORCA, Cycling BC, Girls under 14 soccer club,
Howe Sound Minor Football, Squamish Trail Society, and more. Neither the
race-director nor any of the organizing committee receive any salary for
their efforts.

So it is with baited breath that we await the results from this years
Test of Metal. Sure, the rider results are interesting, but this year
an official study will finally get to put a number on just how much moolah
is actually dropped in our town due directly to this event.

Maybe then we will finally get the provincial political will to hurry
up and protect our trails. Of course that’s coming from a guy who
just finished his fifth bike event on trails that have been slated for
condo’s for quite some time.

Thankfully, we managed to sneak one more succsessfull year out of the
mountain bike carnival known as Beyond the Valleycliffe of the Dolls (BVOD).
For those keeping track this was the fifth successful year and right off
the bat I must acknowledge my lovely power behind the throne’s indispensable
help each and every year. Once again the event that pushes people up and
down five local mountains was a smashing success due mainly to the fact
that no one got hurt enough to sue and I didn’t lose money. In fact
at the end there’s a couple hundred bucks raised for Squamish Emergency
Program and SORCA. Not to shabby for just another showcase event bringing
people and their money to the outdoor recreation capital of Canada.